Rhino shot dead, horn chopped off in Kaziranga; poacher held

JOHRAT: An adult female rhino was shot dead by poachers in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) on Saturday. The killers chopped off its horn before forest staff reached the spot where six empty cartridges of .303 rifle were found.
A poacher — involved in several rhino poaching cases — was arrested from Biswanath area in the connection.
This is the second rhino killed by poachers in KNP this year so far. Earlier, an adult male rhino was shot dead in the park’s Agoratoli forest range on May 9 and its horn was also found missing. KNP had lost three rhinos to poachers in 2019.
Divisional forest officer (Kaziranga) Ramesh Gogoi told TOI, “We have entrusted a senior forester to conduct an investigation into the incident. A group of forest staff have been engaged to assist the investigating officer. Top forest officials of the park are monitoring the entire investigation to nab the culprits.”
Gogoi added, “The arrested person is an infamous poacher and was involved in several rhino poaching incidents in Kaziranga. Preliminary investigations suggest six persons, including the arrested one, were involved in the killing of the rhino.”
Kaziranga lost 18 rhinos during this flood season and two calves are under treatment at Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation after they were rescued.